Orphan
by JrBenson
Summary: This is about a little girl…who would one day grow up to be the saviour of the galaxy. Like every great journey, there is always a beginning... *familiar faces/names will appear*


This is about a little girl…who would one day grow up to be the saviour of the galaxy. Like every great journey, there is always a beginning...

I own nothing that belongs to the Mass Effect universe. Just all my OC's. Forgive me in advance. I'm gonna try to stick to the timeline and ME facts as much as I can.

AN: This is based on my first Shepard. Earth born, survivor, paragon.

Check out my new online store – go to my profile to find the link. It may look like I don't have a lot of stuff on it, but I promise, it's some good stuff. I'm also working on different designs so stay tuned.

I'm going on vacation in a couple weeks so I thought I could post this now. I won't have access to a computer where I'm going so this will be my early Christmas gift to you all. Thanks for the support.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span><strong>1<strong>

_2159_

Waving to the old clerk, Nash hefted her paper bag into one arm and grabbed an apple from it as she made her way out the store. She wiped the fruit on her shirt before she took a big bite out of it.

Second Lieutenant Shepard hummed in appreciation and looked up at the bright blue sky. She was anxious to get home and just relax. 7 months of playing liaison between humanity and the other races was wearing Nash down. She had been handpicked by Councilor Anita Goyle. Humanity's first Ambassador.

Nash shook her head. She never liked politicians but Goyle was certainly different. Humanity was lucky - lucky in the sense that the aliens didn't just disintegrate humanity on the spot. The Ambassador knew how to play hard ball and knew exactly what buttons to push to get the results she wanted.

But the woman had humanity's best interest at heart. At least that's what Nash told herself whenever Goyle got on everyone's nerves.

Clearing her mind with a shake of her head, Nash continued to chew on her apple as she weaved in and out of the throngs of people.

After the First Contact war two years before; earth hadn't changed all that much. The only difference were a lot of people and a large handful of Asari, Elcor and Volus as well as a few other species Nash didn't know, decided to call the mega city home. Still, the war left a lot of people and species distrustful of each other. Particularly between humans and Turians.

Nash didn't mind the diversity at all. It was a nice change. Although a few didn't see it that way. What the city didn't need where it's gangs, in particular the Tenth Street Reds. They were nothing more than a bunch of overgrown thugs that thought to control 'their' streets with fear and vandalism. They also began distributing red sand. It was a fairly new drug with horrific results. Nash had several run-ins with the punks and each time it left a nasty taste in her mouth.

Sighing, she just tossed her finished apple core into the trash and crossed the busy street. She had just one more stop to make before she headed home. As she neared the market, she noticed a tiny girl, huddled against the building, her head tucked into her arms.

Nash stopped and looked around. Her brows knotted together at the sight: a little girl sitting on the street; and no one noticing this tiny human. Cautiously, Nash made her way over, lowering herself as she got closer.

As if sensing another presence, the girl quickly turned herself into a ball.

"Easy…I won't hurt you," Nash cooed softly. She set her grocery bag down and hunkered down as low as she could. "Are you hurt sweetie?" Again, the little girl just tightened her posture. Nash noticed several scratches along the girl's arms and shins. Dirt had covered the rest of her.

"I won't hurt you. I promise," Nash said gently. She waited but got no reaction.

"Are you this…_thing's_ mother?" Asked an angry looking Volus. Nash pursed her lips and slowly stood to her full height. She glared down at the chubby little alien as she placed her hands on her hips.

"And if I were, what business is it of yours?" Nash did her best to keep her voice level, not wanting to frighten the tiny girl. The chubby volus just waived his tiny arms about as he desperately tried to back track.

"Uh…nothing! Nothing at all! She's just been sitting her like that for the last 3 days. It's bad for my business to have a thi-," the volus stopped himself when he saw the angry glint in the human's eyes. "…uh…I mean, a little _human_ girl just sitting outside my store!"

Nash inhaled deeply and internally counted to ten. Looking back to the girl then back to the alien, Nash sighed.

"Didn't you go and see what was wrong with her? At least offer her something to eat?" Nash reasoned. The volus stepped back as if Nash slapped him.

"No! Never!" the volus gasped. Nash just sighed loudly and rolled her eyes.

"Go back to your store little man. I'll take care of her." And with that, Nash turned back to the girl, crossed her legs as she sank to the ground next to her. Nash paid no attention to the volus as he huffed and waddled back inside mumbling.

"What's your name?" Nash asked gently.

She waited a beat before she tried to get the girl to look at her. Each time the two made eye contact, the little girl would hide behind curly hair and tuck her head further into her arms.

"That's ok sweetie. My name is Nash Shepard. Are you hungry?" Again, Nash waited. Gradually, the little girl peered through her light brown hair. Nash did her best not to make a big deal; she just sat and waited patiently.

When Nash saw that the girl had kept her gaze for more than a few seconds, Nash flashed a big smile. The girl offered her visitor a small smile.

"Hi there," she said quietly. Nash slowly reached into the paper bag and pulled out an apple. "Hungry?"

Nash saw the girl chew her bottom lip contemplating whether or not it was a good idea to do so. Nash understood and nodded that it was alright to take it. Quickly the girl snatched the fruit and begun to devour it.

Nash's eyes widened.

"Whoa! Slow down, honey! Your stomach will hurt."

The little girl stopped chewing, her cheeks full of the eaten fruit, and stared up at the kind stranger.

"Sorry. But you gotta slow down or you're gonna get a stomach ache. Can you do that for me?" Nash waited silently and slowly the girl nodded. Nash smiled, her eyes wrinkling at the sides.

"Good."

Nash just sat patiently, Indian style, and waited for the girl to finish. She watched the girl eat and shook her head as she smiled. The girl had wolfed the apple down within minutes. Shyly the little girl handed the apple core to Nash as she wiped her mouth with her other hand.

Nash just laughed.

"Feeling a little better?" The girl nodded. Nash reached into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. She handed it to the girl who just looked at it curiously.

"Use that instead of your hand honey." Realization dawned on the girl as she wiped her mouth. Scrunching up the handkerchief, the girl handed back to Nash.

"Thank you. Still hungry?" The girl nodded.

By now, the girl had uncurled herself completely. Nash could see that the girl had not bathed in a few days and probably hasn't eaten for longer. Her t-shirt and shorts were dirty and tattered.

"Tell you what. You come with me and I can feed you something warm. Is that ok with you?" Nash purposed gently.

The girl eyed Nash suspiciously now. But the thought of warm food in her stomach was tempting. Nash understood her mistrust and did her best not to scare her further.

"I promise, I won't hurt you. If you want to leave after I've fed you, you can."

The girl worried her bottom lip as she weighed her options. Then after a moment, the girl gave Nash a small nod.

Nash gave the girl a bright smile.

"Ok. Let's go." Nash stood, picked up her grocery bag in one hand and held out the other for the girl to take.

Timidly, the girl slipped her tiny hand into Nash's and looked up. Nash could see the quiet strength behind blue eyes. Giving a comforting squeeze, Nash led the way to her skycar. After buckling the girl in, Nash slid into the driver's seat.

The two drove in silence. Every so often, Nash stole a quick glance at her little passenger. The look of awe that had glued itself onto the girls tiny features made Nash smile. The girl just watched as skycars flew by them.

"So…you have a name?" Nash asked softly. She felt rather then saw the girl shrug.

"You don't know?" she asked just to be sure. The girl shrugged silently again. That was odd. But before Nash could ask anything else, the girl gasped and pointed above her.

Nash couldn't help but smile at her reaction. Above them, a large ship broke through the atmosphere and flew by them. The girl excitedly planted her face against the window and watched it go by, her eyes wide.

Nash chuckled.

"That's the SSV Hastings. I serve on that ship," Nash said proudly. The girl's head snapped around so fast, Nash thought her neck would break. The girl stared wide eyed at the woman. Nash just laughed.

"Well, obviously, I'm not on it now. But I _did_ serve on it for a while," Nash explained. The girl sat still, completely awe struck.

Nash just chuckled and continued driving. She attempted small talk with the girl throughout the drive. The little girl nodded, shook her head or shrugged.

Nash sighed internally.

_This is gonna be harder than I thought…_Nash thought.

All too soon, the pair finally arrived at their destination.

Nash parked the skycar and killed the engine. She turned to look at the girl and offered her a warm smile.

"Ready?"

The girl inhaled deeply, as if working up the courage, and then slowly nodded. Nash opened the door and climbed out. She quickly made her way over to the other side of the skycar and swiftly unbuckled the girl and stood to the side, and waited as the tiny figure slipped out.

The girl held her hand up expectantly and Nash felt her insides melt. She took the tiny hand and the two made their way inside.

**MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME**

"Have a seat on the couch and I'll go get started on our dinner," Nash said as they made her way through the apartment. The girl tugged once on Nash's fingers signalling she wanted to be let go. Nash did as she was requested and let the girl go.

She watched as the little girl took in her surroundings. Nash smiled. Timidly, the girl padded her way to the large sofa. She didn't sit at first, just looked everywhere and anywhere. Nash tossed her keys on the side table by the door and made her way to the kitchen.

"Did you wanna watch some vids?"

The girl cocked her head to the side and waited. Nash switched the television on and found a suitable programme for the young girl.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. The bathroom is just off to the side over there. I'll bring in our dinner in here so we can watch together. Ok?" The girl nodded, not paying attention to Nash but rather to the cartoon that was on. Nash grinned and headed to the kitchen.

**MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME**

"Let's get you cleaned up, honey," Nash said with a grin. The little girl wolfed down the dish the moment it was placed in front of her. The two eat in relative silence with Nash speaking every now and then.

The little girl had finished two bowls of pasta and two bowls ice cream. She had a ring of sauce and ice cream around her mouth, which only made her appearance much more adorable.

Offering her hand, Nash stood and waited patiently as the tiny girl took hold of it as she was led to the bathroom. Nash gently washed the girls face with a face towel then opening the medicine cabinet, took out an unopened tooth brush and handed it to the little girl.

Nash turned and filled the tub with warm water. Glancing over her shoulder she saw the girl watching her suspiciously. Straightening herself, Nash smiled gently.

"Is it ok if you took a bath?"

The little girl scrunched her nose and shook her head. Trying hard not to smirk, Nash sat on the edge of the tub and tried a different tactic.

"Well…when I sleep, I like to feel fresh and clean. Makes me feel better. Even when I have a bad day at work." Nash waited. After a moment, the girl sighed and nodded, grudgingly. Nash's grin broke through.

"Thank you," she said as she helped the girl open the toothbrush. The two stood side by side, brushing their teeth in silence.

**MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME**

"You sure you're comfortable?" Nash asked as she tucked the girl in. Snuggling into the warm blanket, the little girl nodded.

Chuckling softly, Nash sat back and nodded.

"Ok. If you need anything, I'll just outside, ok?" She waited until the girl nodded before slipping off the bed. She dimmed the lights and programmed the door to be left slightly open. Nash looked back once more and felt her heart melt.

Tiny brown curls surrounded the tiny face. The little girl had her thumb in her mouth while her pointer finger curled around her nose. She looked so little in Nash's large t-shirt.

Nash just stared at her for a moment longer before turning to the living room.

Sighing she plopped down onto the sofa and ran a hand through her hair. How was she gonna do this? Her top priority was to find the girl's parents or at least a living family member. Pulling out her Omni-tool, Nash dialled a familiar number.

"_Yes?"_

Nash smiled at the voice on the other end.

"Hello doctor. You still make house calls?"

There was a pause on the line.

"_I will be there within the hour."_ And with that, Dr. Karin Chakwas hung up. Nash rubbed the back of her neck. She trusted Karin to understand that this wasn't just a regular house call.

Sitting back, Nash propped her feet up onto the coffee table. She shut her eyes and waited for her friend to come.

**MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME**

"I have to say Shepard, you have a knack at finding yourself in peculiar situations," the young doctor says as she adds a few more notes in her Omni-tool.

When she arrived 40 minutes ago, the doctor wasn't expecting this. She didn't say anything as Nash led her to the bedroom and quickly did her examination. She knew that Nash would explain once everything was taken care of.

"Yeah…well…" Nash felt her cheeks turn red as she rubbed the back of her neck. Before Karin could say anything else, her Omni-tool beeped. The doctor examined the results of the scans she had run.

"Well that would explain it," Karin murmured.

"Explain what?"

"I found some traces of element zero in her blood stream. This would put her around _at least_ five years of age."

"You can get that from a scan?" Nash asked curiously. Karin smiled and nodded.

"Oh yes. I'm outfitted with the best the Alliance has to offer. It helps do my job quicker and better."

"Well at least we have an age. Anything else? Parents? Date of birth…heck! I'd settle for a name at this point," Nash blurted out with a frustrated sigh.

Karin studied her friend for a moment.

"You found her, Shepard. That is the most important thing. Everything else will come in time," Karin offered as she did her best to alleviate some of the stress her commanding officer was feeling.

Nash sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You're right. I'm sorry," she mumbled tiredly. Karin offered a smile.

"That's quite alright Natasha."

Nash just chuckled at the use of her full name. Karin seemed to be the only one to use it. After a brief moment, the conversation turned back to the little girl.

"Any chance you can get more info now?" Nash asked as she indicated to Karin's Omni-tool.

Dr. Chakwas just shook her head as she shrugged.

"I've sent the necessary requests. It will take some time. There's nothing more than I or you can do. We just have to wait."

Karin began walking towards the front door.

"I will call you the moment I find any information. In the meantime, get some rest Lieutenant."

Nodding, Nash waited until her friend was safely in the elevator before locking up.

Nash checked on the little girl one last time before sinking into the sofa. Inhaling deeply, Nash closed her eyes and fell asleep.

**MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME**

Consciousness slowly came back to Nash. The sun was bright behind her eyelids. Rubbing her eyes, it took Nash a second to realize she wasn't alone in the room.

Nash opened her eyes to be greeted by a pair of light brown ones staring down at her. It took her sleep induced brain a second to catch up.

Shaking her head to clear the rest of her sleep away, Nash pushed herself up and swung her legs over the edge of the sofa.

Smiling sleepily, Nash ran a hand through her hair.

"Mornin'. So you're an early riser, huh?" Nash said gruffly. The little girl just waited. Nash just laughed softly.

"Ok. You want some breakfast?" She watched as the little girl nodded. Raising her arms above her head, Nash stretched until she heard several pops. Shaking out her arms, Nash stood and guided the little girl to the breakfast bar.

Hoisting the girl onto a stool, Nash rounded the counter and opened up cabinets, grabbing a couple bowls and a box of cereals. She felt a pair of eyes following her every move.

After filling their bowls, Nash turned and placed on in front of the little girl then slipped into the seat next to her. The two eat in relative silence for a few moments.

"So…I was thinking that we could go shopping today," Nash begun as she finished up her breakfast. She glanced over at the girl who continued to eat silently. Clearing her throat, Nash continued, "We can find you some brand new shoes and some t-shirts and stuff...," Nash drifted off as she saw the girl look her way.

"What do say?"

The little girl remained silent as she chewed. She finished her bowl and pushed it aside and thought for a moment. Looking up slowly, the girl smiled as she nodded. Nash had to keep from smiling ridiculously. For some strange reason she felt immensely proud of herself.

"Alright then…let's get you gleaned up and we'll be on our way."

The little girl hopped off the stool and quickly grabbed Nash's hands as they headed for the bathroom to get ready for their outing.

**MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME**

"How 'bout these ones?" Nash held up a pair of pink sneakers. The little girl scrunched her nose and shook her head.

"Okay." And with a playful toss, Nash flipped the shoes over her shoulders. The little girl giggled at the older woman's antics. Nash gave her a rugged grin and a wink.

Standing up and wincing slightly at the pinch in her left knee, Nash shook her leg out before motioning for the little girl to follow her.

"Well…we looked down these rows. How about we try down here?" She watched as the little girl glanced down the aisle Nash had indicated and quickly shook her head.

"No? Then were too?"

The little girl took Nash by the hand and led her farther down the store.

"Uh…honey, this is the boys section." The little girl nodded and walked down the aisle and grabbed a pair of sneakers. Coming back to stand in front of the adult, the little girl handed Nash the shoes.

Nash tried to smother her grin.

"Alright then. Glad that's been taken care of. Come on, let's go and pay for this and I can take you to lunch."

The little girl nodded and held tightly onto the hand that was offered. Earlier that morning, Nash had purchased some new clothing for her via her Omni-tool. The little girl looked down and shyly smiled. She had never had anything so nice before.

Soon enough, Nash had paid for the pair of shoes and had hoisted the girl onto a nearby bench. She carefully took the girls old pair of shoes off and gently slipped the new one's on.

"How do they feel?" Nash asked softly. The little girl hopped off the bench and bounced around for a few minutes then looked up. She smiled brightly and held up a thumb.

Nash threw her head back and laughed.

"I'm glad."

Just then Nash's Omni-tool beeped. She glanced at who the caller could be and quickly answered. Nash held out her hand and the little girl grasped it instinctively.

"Yes doctor?"

"_Ah…there you are Lieutenant. I have those…results you requested. Are you able to discuss the matter?"_ Karin asked cryptically. She knew that tiny little ears could be around and she didn't want to upset the little girl further.

"Give me a couple more hours' doc. Just getting some supplies and I need to feed her. I'll call you when we get home."

"_Very well. I will wait for you then."_

And with that, Dr. Chakwas hung up. Nash sighed loudly. She stole a glance at the little girl who just stared back.

"Yeah kiddo…it was important. Come on. Let's go eat," Nash said a little too quickly. She had a weird feeling that the little girl knew that she was avoiding the subject of the phone call.

Saying nothing, the pair headed for the food court.

**MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME**

"Why don't you go and try out some of your new toys. Dr. Chakwas and I will be out here, ok kiddo?"

The little girl just gave Nash an '_I know what you're doing'_ look. Sighing, the little girl was just too perceptive for her age.

Silently, the little girl picked up her bags and headed for her room.

"Well, I see you've grown attached to her since I last saw you yesterday," Dr. Chakwas said with a teasing glint in her eye.

Nash felt her cheeks burn.

"So…what's the news, doc?" She motioned for Karin to take a seat.

The two women sat down on the sofa close enough to read the data pad Karin had brought.

"Well, it's what we suspected. She does have biotic abilities, how strong; only time will tell. But it isn't too big a concern for now. No need to put her on any list, in my opinion. The amount of eezo that is within her system, currently, is nothing to be worried about. Of course as she grows and depending on if her biotics manifest, you would have to find a way to train her on how to use them safely."

Nash was quiet as she digested this.

"Ok, doc. That's good. At least she doesn't have any major health problems," Nash said softly.

Karin studied her for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"Considering where you found her, she is the picture of health, Natasha."

Nash felt her shoulders relax in relief, but that feeling didn't last very long. Karin picked up the data pad again and scrolled through the other info she had acquired.

"I believe her mother was exposed to element zero. She was well along in her pregnancy."

Karin handed the data pad to Nash who quickly scrolled through the information.

"That's it?" Nash said in frustration.

"You're lucky I was able to find anything at all. Don't you remember how chaotic it was back then?"

Nash nodded silently. The first time element zero was discovered, everyone scrambled to get their hands on the stuff. Then the big corporations began buying larger shares of it, which led to them building mining facilities on planets that had large amounts of element zero.

There were so many facilities popping up that the health and safety of the workers didn't matter anymore. Then pretty soon 'accidents' started to happen. At first no one noticed but when more and more workers started to get exposed to the stuff, the more people noticed.

But it was too late. A good portion of pregnant women were exposed to element zero, which in turn created biotic children. And depending on the mother's exposure, the child would exhibit mild to extreme biotic powers.

"So I just have to wait and see, huh?"

Karin gave her a small smile.

"I'm afraid so."

The two women sat quietly.

"What are you going to do? I know you've been thinking about leaving the Alliance for some time now. You now have a very good reason to do so."

Nash had been thinking the same thing. The last few years haven't been as fulfilling as Nash had wanted them to be.

Karin just watched the young woman. She had never been married nor had she any children. But Natasha, despite being just a few years older than her, felt her motherly instincts kicking in.

"May I make a suggestion, Natasha?"

Nash smiled and nodded. Karin paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. Then reaching out and placing a warm hand over Nash's, Karin gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Take this time to fully explore your options. You're not scheduled to return to the ship for another 2 weeks. This may be a good opportunity for you and the little one to see how well you are together."

And with that, Karin gave a final squeeze and got up to leave. Nash walked the doctor to the door and watched Karin leave. Nash thought about her options. She wasn't sure what to do next. She never had a kid and never really entertained the idea until now.

There was a lot to mull over.

…

Inside the room, the little girl tried her best not to eavesdrop on the conversation outside. But she couldn't really help it. She picked up words like, _ezzo, biotics…_and _mother…_

She felt a tear prick the side of her eye. She quickly wiped it away. She dropped the toy that she had been holding and slumped her shoulders. She didn't remember her mother or what _her_ own name was.

The only thing she remembers were the sounds of crying babies and the screams of the older children. Her first moments of life were spent in the city's run down 'orphanage'. It's where the abandoned children were brought to when there was no one or no place for them to stay.

Some kids stayed but most left. There were a handful of kids that found people to look after them. Those kids were never heard or seen from again. While the others fell prey to the gangs that surrounded the neighbourhoods.

Growing up in that kind of environment, you learn fast who to trust and who to be weary of. One could never trust someone who was being so nice…they always wanted _something_ in return. It's what's kept her alive all these years. But being here…being taken care of by Nash…it was muddling her thinking.

_What did she want?_ The little girl didn't know. She truly enjoyed her new things but something was going to give eventually. It always does.

The little girl exhales loudly. She is going to enjoy whatever it was she had now because sooner or later, it was going to be taken away.


End file.
